Fun Home (Pg 23)

On page 23 of Fun Home, it becomes clear that Alison sees her father as a figure that was always lost. When we learn that her father committed suicide, she says, ”his absence resonated retroactively, echoing back through all the time I knew him.” Her father is gone, but like the death of any parent, there is a process of grieving. When his homosexuality is revealed, it seems as through Alison is looking back at memories of her father and trying to figure out who he really was. As Alison points out some of her father’s feminine appearances, it further illustrates his hidden sexuality. Mowing the lawn, for example, is a normal thing to do. The way this book illustrates such a chore speaks volumes about the relationship between Alison and her father. The unfinished grief is visually represented as Alison is shown moving the lawn in endless circles to finish the task. It is evident that Alison and her father shared a special bond, even if it was now clear back then, in regards to their sexuality. Alison understands that throughout her relationship with her father as well as her memories of it, there were signs that “echoed” her father’s melancholy.